The Reason Why
by Heartz Desire
Summary: Wounded by their shattered pasts, faith is no longer an option. With Robin's conceited persona and Starfire's fiery disposition, hating each other seems like the only reasonable path… or is it? Full summary inside.
1. Broken Memories

**The Reason Why**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

**AN: Hey guys! First of all, I'd like to dedicate this fic to my cousin, who has helped me through thick and thin.. I honestly could not have done it without her! Anyways, after all the lovely feedback I recieved for "A Perfect Snow Day" I have decided to start a chapter story for our lovely couple. I do apologize for the long delay, school does come first. But I will do my best to update as often as I can. This is my first chapter fic, so bear with me. I've worked hard on this one so I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Summary: Wounded by their shattered pasts, faith is no longer an option. With Robin's emotional instability and Starfire's acidic disposition, hating each other seems like the only reasonable path... or is it? A touching story of courage, perseverance, trust... and love.**

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Chapter 1: Broken Memories

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A lone figure stood silently atop the dark crown of a colossal skyscraper. He remained unmoving, savoring the dreary, dismal atmosphere of the darkened skies. A solemn look was etched upon his handsome features, his mind completely lost within his shadowed thoughts. His eyes shone with suppressed emotion, but had gone unnoticed for they were secured behind the safety of the delicate mask resting across his face.

He looked up and noticed that dark, gray storm clouds had managed to creep in and envelop the already blackened sky. A slight breeze rustled the long black cape that gracefully draped his broad shoulders, completely shielding his well-built figure and flowing down until it came to rest just above his ankles. As the cape began to dance swiftly with the soaring winds, a distinct insignia was revealed from beneath the protective fabric. A golden crest, designed and shaped to resemble a sharp-edged letter "R", carefully positioned upon his left breast. It was his mark. His symbol. A constant reminder of the person he was, the person he was known to be. The person he will forever remain.

Robin… The Boy Wonder.

The infamous sidekick to the legendary dark knight, Batman.

Rage began to consume his mind as memories of recent events with his mentor came flooding back to him. His teeth were grinding profusely against each other, his knuckles clenched into tight fists. It was just hours ago, when the famous dynamic duo were engaged in the fight of the century. As unfortunate as it was, Robin knew the end was inevitable.

The young hero attempted to calm himself as his eyes subconsciously scanned the cold, shadowed streets of Gotham. A place of steaming sewer covers, putrid roads, and thug-infested alleyways. Towering rooftops filled the sky, engulfing the city into a black and foggy abyss, swallowing it whole.

The boy wonder knew it all too well. It was here, in Gotham, where his life spun out of control and caught him in a giant whirlwind of chaos.

Orphaned after the tragic death of his parents, Dick Grayson was adopted by billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne. Carefully raised, Dick grew into a strikingly handsome young man with abilities that allowed him to attract any female within a ten-mile radius. A splitting image of his father. He swam in an endless pool of wealth and luxury, surrounded by a world of sparkling champagne and fancy sports cars. He appeared on every prestigious magazine ever sold, his sexy physique and irresistible smile proved him no less than a god. He was the crowned prince of Gotham, heir to the Wayne empire. Life was perfect – or so everyone thought.

Behind closed doors, things were not as cut-and-dry. While juggling a life of royalty, Dick also carried the weight of his second existence – Batman's loyal and faithful crime-fighting sidekick, Robin. Though Dick enjoyed the thrill and excitement of the chase, it came at a grueling cost. Day after day, Bruce drove him through intense training sessions, each agonizing second more demanding than the last. Desperately wanting to prove his worthiness, Dick pushed his body to its limits, refusing to stop until he was on the brink of losing consciousness. He trained for hours at a time, putting himself through torturous exercises that enhanced both his physical and mental abilities. He gradually developed extraordinary martial arts skills and lightning-fast reflexes, transforming his body into the ultimate lethal weapon. As impressive as it was, Bruce remained indifferent towards his student's progress.

Dick was puzzled beyond belief. He had put a hundred and ten percent into his training and he had absolutely nothing to show for it. His mentor gave no words of encouragement, no acts of reassurance, only stone cold glances of disappointment.

And he hated him for it.

Despite his best efforts, Robin was unable to surpass the legacy of his father. For years, he continued to live in the shadows of Batman. Night after frustrating night, Robin learned to accept his inferior status as 'the sidekick'…

Until _that_ day.

Robin's tolerance had finally reached its breaking point. While the Bats was out on his nightly patrol, Robin received a call about an unidentified jail-break that required immediate assistance. As the information started pouring in, he was able to put the pieces together and come up with the perfect suspect.

The Joker.

Robin knew that this was bad. The Joker was a deadly gambler, an individual capable of doing unspeakable damage when provoked to do so.

Robin's first thought was to contact Batman. They would stand a better chance of taking Joker down together. He needed to send the distress call. He knew he should. He had to.

But he didn't.

Robin's inner-self screamed at him, telling him to go with his gut and take Joker down himself. For years, he desperately wanted to prove himself, to show the world he wasn't just some useless helper that shadowed Batman's every step. He was THE Boy Wonder. He could be a hero. He _knew_ he could. He just needed the opportunity…and this was it.

Realizing he had wasted enough time already, Robin quickly mounted the R-Cycle and raced out of the Batcave in record time. He was ready to do this. He could feel it. It was finally his time to shine…

**-:-**

Nearly five hours later, the Batmobile sped ferociously down the long driveway and made a hasty stop within the Batcave. The top flew open and Batman made a furious exit from within the vehicle. The Boy Wonder, glued to the passenger seat, remained silent.

It was over before he could blink an eye. His first mission. His golden opportunity. His one shot to prove them all wrong, to emerge from the dark and come out on the other side as the first of a new generation of young heroes…

And he blew it.

What went wrong? He didn't even know himself.

He was careless. Too careless. His concentration was skewered, an unfortunate result of raging overconfidence. Minor mistakes became crucial errors, leaving ample space for the Joker to spread havoc and injure innocent people. Robin soon lost control of the situation, resulting in devastating consequences. By the time Batman arrived, it was already too late. The damage was done…

A small, seven year-old girl had been caught in the crossfire. The last thing Robin remembered was watching the ambulance disappear down the street with the little girl inside, fighting for her life. He stood there in shock, his entire body going numb. He had never seen so much blood…

"_Robin!"_

Robin flinched, hearing Batman's anger-filled voice echoing through the cave and snapping him from his thoughts. He slowly climbed out from the Batmobile, taking slow agonizing steps down the long road to hell. He was scared. No, he was terrified. But he had learned to expertly cloak his fear, preventing outsiders from using it against him.

He didn't stop walking till he was face to face with Batman. They stood there facing each other, neither one of them saying a word. After a long and uncomfortable silence, the Dark Knight finally managed to speak.

"_What the hell were you thinking?"_

Silence.

"_What made you even THINK you could be able to take down the Joker on your own? Have you no common sense?"_

Robin's blood began to boil. How dare he blame him for being senseless!

"_I did what I thought was appropriate,"_ Robin hissed through clenched teeth. He was desperately trying not to lose it completely.

"_You should have contacted me, Robin! Your stupidity possibly cost a little girl her life!"_

"_Innocent lives were in danger! I didn't have a second to lose…I HAD to stop him!"_

"_You have NO experience being on your own! You aren't ready!"_

That did it. Something inside Robin snapped at that very instant and he lashed out, unable to control his rage any longer.

"_Why am I never good enough for you, damn it! I'm old enough to make my own decisions! I don't need you breathing down my neck about what I do or how I do it!"_

"_It's not ABOUT that, Robin!" _Batman fired back. _"It's about your safety! I don't want to find you dead because you were being an egotistical asshole!"_

"_Oh, gee, thanks for your sincere concern!" _Robin barked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"_I mean it, Dick! You think this is all a game? Did you HONESTLY believe I would think better of you because you went and nearly got yourself killed?"_

"_I'd be surprised if you thought ANYTHING of me at all!" _Robin shouted. _"You've NEVER been happy with what I've been able to accomplish, nor to you ever encourage me to do any better! All you HAVE done is show me what a complete failure I am and how disappointed you are in me! Did it ever occur to you that maybe I wanted to make you PROUD of me for once?"_

Enraged, Robin unleashed his emotions. The feelings he had been keeping within himself for all these years had finally found a way to come out.

"_You don't understand at all do you?" _Batman countered._ "I just wanted you to keep you saf-"_

"_Don't you even THINK of pulling that 'I-want- you-to-be-safe' crap, 'cause it's not gonna cut it! You knew the risks from the start!" _Robin interrupted angrily._ "You let me become who I am, and that means you have to accept all the dangers that come with it! It's part of my life now, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it!"_

"_Oh, like hell there isn't!" _Batman screamed. He had finally lost it. _"From now on, you aren't going ANYWHERE without my supervision! So don't even ATTEMPT to sneak off on your own! Until I am able to trust you again, you will be treated accordingly! Is that understood?"_

Robin couldn't believe this. After all these years, he was STILL being treated like a child. He couldn't stand it…he couldn't stand **him**. "_There is NO WAY that I'm going to-"_

But before he could continue, Robin was interrupted by a soft voice. "_I apologize for the interruption Master Bruce, Master Dick."_

It was their butler, Alfred. He had a solemn look upon his slightly wrinkled face; his head hung lower than usual. _"But the hospital called just a few moments ago…"_

Robin's breath caught in his throat. The little girl. He had temporarily forgotten about her. And judging by the expression on Alfred's face, he wasn't sure he wanted to remember. Nevertheless, Alfred went on, speaking the words that the Boy Wonder hoped he would never have to hear.

"…_she didn't make it."_

In an instant, Robin felt anger, shock, confusion, and despair, all at the same time. His legs went rigid, unable to move. He could feel his heart disappear into his chest, his stomach creating nauseating feelings of pain and sadness. He couldn't breathe.

"_No…"_

Batman hung his head, his hands tightening into fists of anguish. He slowly turned toward Robin.

"_Dick…"_ But Robin wouldn't listen.

"_Don't…I-I don't wanna hear it…"_ He slowly sank to his knees, his hands shaking with disbelief. This couldn't be happening. She didn't make it... and it was his fault.

"_Get some sleep. Your training starts at 6 A.M. sharp." _Batman said while turning to leave. Robin's head jerked up sharply, his jaw hanging slightly open.

"_You CAN'T be serious! Does it even register with you that a little girl just DIED?"_

Batman stopped, but remained turned away. _"It's out of my hands, Robin. There is nothing either of us can do. You made the mistake…so deal with it."_

Robin was no longer thinking clearly. His entire body went numb and his mind was completely swallowed by feelings of tremendous guilt. He couldn't endure it any longer. For years, Batman teetered on the fine line of Robin's patience. And that line had finally snapped.

Robin suddenly rose to his feet, a look of disgust and fury written all over his face. _"You're right. I have to deal with what I've done. But not here…not with you."_

Batman paused. _"What are you saying?"_

"_I'm leaving,"_ Robin responded slowly. _"I can't deal with this anymore. You have done nothing but spite me... and I'm sick of it."_ His voice rose with every word. _"All these years, I've worked my ass off to measure up to your standards! I've done my best to be a good student, to try and understand why the hell you're so damn hard on me! I guess I'll never know."_

"_There is no way in HELL I am letting you leave!" _Batman shouted._ "You're my responsibility, so don't make my job harder than it already is!"_

"_SCREW YOU!"_ Robin screamed. _"I'm not your problem anymore Bruce! You don't have to deal with my failures any longer!"_

Robin was fuming. His hands yearned to make painful contact with that conceited face he despised so much. He wanted to beat the living crap out of him, to inflict as much pain on him as he possibly could.

"_To think I actually thought you cared about me! For all I know you could have been waiting for me to mess up, so you can throw me out like yesterday's trash! You probably planned this whole thing so you could HAPPILY watch me screw up! Well here's a newsflash for you, Bats… it worked! I failed, just like you planned it. So now, I'm about to walk out of your life for good. And you know what, I couldn't be happier!"_

Robin turned abruptly and stormed over to his R-Cycle, which had been towed in behind the Batmobile. Throwing on his helmet, Robin quickly started the engine, his desire to leave growing stronger with each passing moment. Batman looked on, unwavering, as his faithful sidekick slowly disappeared from sight, racing down the driveway for the last time….

**-:-**

…and here he was, several hours later, standing on the darkened rooftop, completely submerged in his feelings of misery and regret. Why was he doing this to himself? He had to move on. He couldn't let one mistake ruin the rest of his life. But what a mistake it was…a mistake that would haunt him for years to come.

Robin swiftly hopped from the rooftop, making his way down the steep side of the building until he reached his R-Cycle that was parked within a cold, damp alleyway. He started the engine and began his journey down the slick, steaming roads of Gotham City.

Robin pondered to himself as he raced down the deserted streets. His face held a stern, almost emotionless expression that was simply unreadable. Soon enough, his unyielding features morphed into a look of obvious resentment as he remembered the reason he decided to leave in the first place. He _had_ to leave. He couldn't stand the thought of remaining in this god-forsaken city for another second. He needed to get away. Away from Gotham... and away from him.

Deciding he would be much better off on his own, Robin urged his vehicle onward, gaining speed with every passing streetlight. This was it. He was finally free. And honestly, he couldn't be more thrilled. Amazingly, a small smirk appeared on the corners of his lips, his body growing increasingly anxious for whatever journeys awaited him. Looking over his shoulder, Robin took one final glance at the city's skyline.

"See ya 'round, Bats," Robin saluted. His eyes slowly returned to the road in front of him, his figure growing increasingly smaller until he was finally gone. The sun began its slow ascent into the morning sky as Robin sped off, seeking his next exhilarating adventure.

Destination?… Jump City.

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**AN: Whew, glad thats over. Finally got the ball rolling with this story and again, I apologize for the delay. Had a severe case of writers block. Anyways, I hope you all liked it and PLEASE don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Broken Spirits

**The Reason Why**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

**AN: Hello readers! I am terribly sorry for the long delay.. I couldn't get this chapter the way I wanted to and it was bugging the heck out of me. Thanks again to my wonderful cousin who has helped make it all happen! And a special thanks to my reviewers! You guys rock!  
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**A****nyway, just a quick note to the readers: ****I understand that Starfire didn't gain her eyebeams until she went through her 'Transformation' process. In the story, I wrote it so that she had these powers prior to the war, meaning she had already gone through her transformation and has had these powers for quite a while now.  
**

**Happy reading!**

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Chapter 2: Broken Spirits

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"Bring her in!"

The large doors gradually swung open, creaking as they scratched viciously against the cold, hard floor. High-pitched screams were heard as two large, snakelike creatures trudged through the threshold, dragging the body of a wounded young woman. She was covered in bruises, her delicate face dotted with small cuts. She wore a stunning suit of armor consisting of arm braces, high boots, and a chest piece containing a gleaming olive gem. Her body was tightly wrapped in silver cloth, a sure sign of high authority. The girl was struggling madly, attempting to free herself, but her strength was slowly diminishing.

She was violently shoved to the ground, her temple making hard contact with the floor. The guards left in a hurry, leaving the girl lying in a crumpled heap of helplessness. She seemed to have been knocked unconscious, but she soon began to rise and attempted to pry herself from the ground. Her auburn red hair fell down the side of her face, shielding her glowing green eyes. She was so weak. Her body was screaming at her, begging her to cease her painful movements. She was panting, every ounce of her energy spent. She visibly shivered as the eerie voice of an unknown figure rang in her ears. And it was approaching fast.

"Ah, yessss," the voice hissed at her. The figure towered above her as she fought to maintain consciousness. "We meet at lassst…Princessss Koriand'r."

The girl managed to lift her upper body, bracing herself with the palms of her hands. Her world was spinning and her head was pounding, overcome by massive waves of dizziness. She eventually rose to her feet and shot a menacing glare at the figure before her.

"You may NOT call me by that name!" she stated icily. Her hands began to glow a vibrant green; she lowered her position, preparing to attack if necessary. The snake creature simply laughed in amusement, baring its giant teeth that were coated with yellow slime.

"Then what MAY I call you, precioussss?" the snake asked seductively.

Koriand'r didn't respond. She merely glared at the creature with poison in her eyes. The way it occasionally rolled out its S's was enough to make her blood boil. She knew it was messing with her. It wanted to get her all hot and bothered so that it would be easier for her to lose focus if combat should ensue. But she knew better.

"You may only refer to me as…Starfire," she said, calmly. Her intense desire to attack the creature was undeniable. She grew less dizzy with every passing moment as her body began to recover from what seemed like a hard and brutal assault. Despite the shape she was in, Starfire's mind was fixated on getting out...and she would take down whomever and whatever was in her path.

"Yessss. We have heard great things about you, Sssstarfire," the snake answered.

"Who are you and why do you hold me prisoner!" Starfire shouted.

"How rude of me," it slurred. "My name is Nyoka, ruler of Planet Timin."

Starfire's eyes widened. Timin was the dreaded ally of Planet Gordania. Nyoka noticed her reaction and smiled.

"Yesss, darling. We have joined forces with the Gordanians to destroy Tamaran onccce and for all."

Starfire was enraged. Her eyes began to glow bright green. "You will perish before you lay a foot upon my planet!" she shouted.

"We will sssee about that, dear one," Nyoka laughed. He noticed how jumpy the girl seemed to be. Despite the fact she looked like she was ready to strangle him, he could tell from her eyes that she was eager to find out exactly what happened before she woke up. Her next words confirmed his suspicions.

"How did you bring me here? What do you want with me!" Starfire demanded.

"I am sssurprised you do not recall," Nyoka began with a playful smirk, "you were ssscreaming all the way here." Starfire wanted to shout a reply, but before she could begin, Nyoka pressed on.

"We launched an attack late in the night. Our armies overtook yours easssily. We captured you and left none alive, though I must admit, you put up quite a fight."

Starfire froze as pain suddenly ripped through her heart. Her eyes returned to normal and the glow in her hands disappeared. Time seemed to have stopped in its tracks as the Tamaranean princess tried to process what she had just heard.

"No," she whispered. Her loyal soldiers, her trusted friends…her beloved companions. Gone.

Nyoka continued. "We have been watching you for quite some time now and I must say…your potency is very impressssive. Your powers will serve great use to us and our armies. With you as first in command, victory will be inevitable."

Starfire was appalled. Hatred coursed through her veins at his words; she could feel the intense heat travel through her body and end at the pit of her stomach. "You have destroyed our armies, left my people for dead and you are still willing to proceed until you have exterminated my entire planet! How are you able to believe that I will willingly abandon my world for yours!"

"You will find that I am extremely…perssssuasive," Nyoka answered. His beady, yellow eyes traveled up and down her elegant figure, watching her every move. The small smirk engraved on his face indicated that he liked what he saw. His eyes soon found hers and his smile grew wider, causing Starfire to grow uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Nyoka began to walk towards her, his eyes never leaving hers.

Starfire took a step back and her hands began to glow brighter. "Do not come any closer," she warned.

Chuckling, Nyoka continued to close the space between them. "Ssstarfire, you have nothing left on your world. Your soldiers are falling one by one. The royal family, including you, will soon be overthrown." He was no more than six inches from her now. He lifted her chin with his finger and forced her to look at him.

"Join me, and put them out of their misery."

Before he knew it, Nyoka was flying across the room. He slammed against the back wall and slid to the floor. He seemed to have blacked out for a couple of seconds before sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. The moment his stare returned to the Tamaranean princess, he realized what had happened.

Starfire's eyes were shining bright green, steam emerging from the edges of her eyelids. She had attacked him, shooting powerful, green lasers directly into his massive body. His scaly torso scorched with pain, burning from the contact of Starfire's eye beams. The loud commotion caused the two guards to burst through the doors with their swords drawn.

"Get her!" shouted Nyoka. The guards charged for Starfire with their teeth bared, hissing threateningly. Starfire quickly snapped two starbolts in their direction and caused them to fly backwards and land on top each other. She quickly seized the opportunity and flew through the doors, entering the maze of hallways that would, hopefully, lead her out.

She could hear Nyoka's shouts as he gathered a group of giant, bulky security guards and sought after her. She picked up speed and frantically zigzagged left and right in an attempt to evade her enemies. But they were right behind her. She began to tire, still weak from her brutal capture. Before long, Starfire found herself cornered at a dead end. There was no way out. She was trapped.

Left with no other choice, she turned and faced the numerous soldiers, each equipped with a sword and shield. Her fists quickly regained their greenish glow. Her eyes narrowed and burned emerald as well.

"You do not wish to fight me," Starfire began. Her voice was low and barely audible, causing the guards to cringe in slight alarm. Fear was the understatement of the century…after all, they _were_ dealing with a hot-headed warrior princess with powers strong enough to blow them to bits. A small smirk appeared on Starfire's face, for she could sense their uneasiness.

"I see you are most uncomfortable," she said to the soldiers. "I strongly suggest you all surrender. Rest assured your attempts to recapture me will be in vain."

Nonetheless, the guards came at her. Starfire reacted quickly and flew upwards, doing a somersault in the air and coming down hard and fast. Her heels made contact with two soldiers and sent them flying backwards into their comrades. She then began an endless barrage of starbolts, filling the hallway with dense and heavy smoke. Starfire closed her eyes, allowing the haze to surround her and engulf her body in a warm embrace. She listened intently for any signs of movement, her brow furrowed in concentration. When she could no longer smell the smoke, Starfire opened her eyes. She soon discovered the soldiers, all lying unconscious on the floor. Her eyes scanned the scene before her, a look of contempt plastered upon her face.

"You had been warned," she stated coldly. She began to step over the bodies, taking long, casual strides. Now all she needed was to locate an exit. She walked down the straightaway and approached a window. She quickly pressed her face to the cold glass, and her heart sank in disbelief. She could tell from the black skies and white dots that she was probably in a spaceship, traveling towards Timin. The large, unfamiliar planets inching across the window indicated that she was nowhere near home.

Overcome with anger, Starfire backed away from the porthole and suddenly sent her fist straight into the wall, screaming out in frustration. How could she have let this happen? The longer she was away from home, the worse the situation would be for Tamaran. They needed her and she would kill herself if she let them down again.

Starfire pried her fist from the wall, leaving a gaping indent in its wake. She began to rub her wrist, relieving some of the soreness the impact created. Suddenly, she felt a horrific pain pierce the right side of her neck. She screamed and instinctively jabbed her elbow behind her, into the stomach of none other than Nyoka. He hissed in pain and sank to the floor, hands over his torso and gasping for air.

Starfire turned around and her hand subconsciously found her neck. She removed what looked like a needle, drops of blue liquid caked on the sides of the tube. Her heart began to race. She grabbed Nyoka by the collar and brought his face closer to her.

"What is the meaning of this!" Starfire shrieked desperately. Her neck began to sting and she had to use her free hand to try and soothe the wound. Nyoka smiled evilly.

"Wouldn't want you putting a hole in my ship," he answered nonchalantly. "Besidesss," he slithered, "you'd be much easier to detain without the use of your powersss."

Starfire's eyes widened drastically. She dropped Nyoka and struggled to summon her starbolts. She shut her eyes and tried to concentrate.

'_Righteous fury…righteous fury…'_ she told herself. But her efforts were futile. Her powers were gone, at least for the moment. Her glare returned to Nyoka and she stormed over to where he lay. She grabbed his collar once again, this time with two hands. She raised her arms over her head, causing the snake creature to be lifted off the floor.

"You will reverse this process. NOW!" Starfire demanded. Her fists clenched tighter around his collar, turning her knuckles white. He smiled innocently at her, making her want to shake the life out of him.

"Now why would I do that?" he asked her. "I want you on my side, Ssstarfire. Your powers are preventing me from obtaining what I long for. There's no escaping now, my dear. You have lossst."

At that moment, another group of guards came charging around the corner, headed straight for them. Starfire uttered a few Tamaranean curse words before throwing Nyoka against the wall and flying at top speed in the other direction. Her head was throbbing. She was amazed at how her situation went from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. Without her powers, her chances of escaping decreased dramatically. She needed to get out**. **Now.

She flew down an empty hallway and spotted a single door. Her mind was reeling, her body shaking from strong waves of anxiety and panic. She heard crashing behind her and turned around, spotting the guards stampeding through the hallway, shoving each other away to see which one of them could get to her first. She grabbed the handle of the door and pulled. No luck. They were coming closer, teeth bared and murder in their eyes. She pushed. Still no luck. Desperation set in as Starfire began to frantically tear at the door handle, pushing and pulling with all she had. But it was too late.

The guards had finally reached her, the first of the bunch grabbing her by her hair and pulling forcefully. Starfire was hurled to the ground, landing on her left side and injuring her hip. Taking advantage of her position on the floor, she swung her right leg and tripped the guard, causing him to land on his behind with a loud thump. With a deafening cry, Starfire launched herself from the ground and flew towards the startled soldier, sending her fist straight into his jaw. A loud crack was heard as the creature landed on its back, unmoving and unconscious. One down, forty-nine more to go.

Starfire unsheathed the sword of the unconscious soldier and held it out in front of her, hoping to use it in her defense. She swung the deadly blade with swift precision, but her strength was rapidly deteriorating. The snakes were steadily overpowering her, gaining advantage with every forceful blow. Starfire suddenly let out an earsplitting cry as she felt the blade of another sword slash her left leg, letting the blood pool out underneath her. Panting, she scrambled for the door, dragging her wounded leg behind her. Another guard grabbed her by her right leg and pulled her away from the exit – towards the awaiting soldiers. Before she could retaliate, the mass of snake creatures suddenly parted, revealing the all-too-familiar figure of Nyoka... holding yet another injection.

Starfire's eyes never left the syringe as the snake king closed the gap between them. She tightened her grip on the sword, watching him as he pushed the air bubble out of the tube, letting the transparent fluid drip down the sharp needle. He bent down close to her ear, whispering in a soft, threatening tone. "Lassst chance, my dear," he hissed. "Join me…or perish."

Without hesitation, Starfire spat a huge wad of saliva onto Nyoka's dumbstruck face, causing him to flinch and back away while scratching at his stinging eyes. She immediately raced for the door, but Nyoka managed to jump on top of her, crushing her with his massive body. He then adjusted their positions so that he had one leg on each side of her to stop her from moving. He pinned her arms to her sides, preventing her from using her sword. She tried to break free, but her weakened state was no match for his powerful legs. His heavy torso crushed her lungs, making the simple act of breathing a strenuous one.

Nyoka pulled out the needle and squirted a few more drops before nudging his face against her cheek. Starfire could feel his hot breath brush the side of her neck as he whispered, "Ssssleep tight."

With nothing left to lose, Starfire used the last of her strength to whip her upper body upwards and violently thrust her head into his. The sudden attack caused Nyoka to loosen his grip around her body, permitting her to free her right arm. Recovering quickly, the snake prepared to inject the chemical into Starfire's neck, but as his hand came down, Starfire was able to grab hold of his wrist and twist it forcefully. Nyoka dropped the needle, screaming in agony. Seizing the opportunity, Starfire snatched the syringe from the floor and plunged it into Nyoka's neck.

"AAHHHH!" the snake shrieked. He fell onto his side, his eyes wide with panic. His hand flew to his neck as the rough skin began to discolor. Still lying on the floor, Starfire was fighting to stay conscious. Her leg wound was still bleeding profusely and the loss of blood was taking its toll on her body. Her breathing was shallow and her muscles ached with pain. She gently turned her head and spotted the snake creatures swarming Nyoka as he screamed for the antidote. This was her chance.

Using the distraction to her benefit, Starfire crawled towards the door once again, clutching her sword for dear life and dragging it behind her. When she finally reached it, Starfire forced herself to stand upright, bracing herself against the wall. She then lifted the sword over her head and brought it down in one powerful swing, taking the handle off the door completely. The loud cling of the door handle hitting the ground was enough to grab the guards' attention. Realizing the Tamaranean girl was mere seconds away from escaping, they drew their weapons and charged.

Starfire dropped her sword and allowed herself to fall against the door, no longer able to stand. The door swung open and Starfire was released into the depths of space, free at last. As she drifted further and further from the dreaded spaceship, she could hear the voice of Nyoka, screaming in frustration. "RUN ALL YOU WANT, SSSWEETHEART, BUT YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOUR FATE! TAMARAN _WILL_ BE DESTROYED AND YOU SHALL SERVE ME! I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT!"

Hot tears trickled down her delicate face as she registered Nyoka's harsh words. She then realized in horror that the ship had already started its engine and began traveling towards her. How they managed to deal with a gaping hole in the side of the ship, she was not sure. Panicked, Starfire began flying in the opposite direction, praying that she could outrun her captors. It wasn't long before she stumbled upon a large asteroid field. Acting fast, she found a decent-sized rock and took cover behind it, completely shielding herself from Nyoka's view. She watched quietly as the ship carefully weaved its way through the asteroids, holding her breath as the ship glided past her a few feet away. She remained tranquil until the vessel disappeared from view, gradually vanishing into the darkness.

Starfire let out a huge sigh of relief and placed her hand over her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. She leaned up against the giant rock, trying to decide what to do next. Gathering her thoughts, Starfire couldn't help but recall Nyoka's words. She could feel the tears returning, prickling the back of her eyes and threatening to fall at any moment.

Tamaran was waning. The people were suffering and Starfire could not help but feel responsible for her planet's downfall. She failed to remain alert and had let her guard down, making it easier for her enemies to capture her. Not to mention murder her comrades. She glanced down at her throbbing leg and winced. Her boot was sliced open, revealing a deep, bloody gash. Her leg was already starting to swell and the wound was beginning to show signs of infection. Droplets of blood formed and floated out from the wound, creating a series of red dots that began to swim around her body. She turned away. The sight was making her sick to her stomach. She needed help and fast.

She knew couldn't go home, they would be expecting that. She needed to hide somewhere and recuperate, though she knew she couldn't travel too far. She had already lost too much blood and losing any more could have dire consequences. Not wanting to risk anything, she searched her near surroundings for a possible place to hide. She soon spotted a small planet, swirling with shades of blue, green and white.

'_It will have to do,'_ the girl told herself. She was growing weaker by the second and her body was overcome with fatigue. She abruptly pushed herself from the rock and let herself drift slowly towards her destination, avoiding any unnecessary movement. As she entered the planet's atmosphere, she felt the air around her grow warmer. Her speed increased and temperature continued to rise, causing her to feel like her entire body had burst into a ball of green flames. The pain in her leg was becoming unbearable, like it had been plunged into a lake of acid.

As the ground gradually came into view, Starfire knew she had no strength left to execute a safe landing. She was falling way too fast and by the looks of it, she would never be able to slow down in time. She crossed her arms over her head, praying to X'hal that her body could take it…

**-:-**

"FREEZE!"

The figure kept running, carrying a large bag in his right hand. He was already starting to tire, the jiggling in his midriff showed he was not exactly the fittest person one would come across. The man quickly turned into an alley and leaned up against the wall, panting and out of breath. Clutching the bag against his chest, he remained silent until he was sure he was no longer being followed.

"Hah, lost 'em," the man said, arrogantly. He started walking down the narrow alleyway, preparing to open the bag and examine his newly acquired treasures. Before he could do so, however, a sharp boomerang-like object flew directly across his face and hit the wall to his left, barely missing the tip of his nose. He jumped back, startled.

"What the fu—"

"Drop the bag and no one gets hurt," a low, menacing voice called from the darkness.

"Who the hell are you!" the man shouted. He spun a full circle, his head darting left and right in a panic.

"Wouldn't you like to know, chubby." A figure suddenly emerged from the shadows, revealing a tall, masculine body hidden underneath a long, black cape. His hair was gelled back in unruly spikes and his eyes were concealed by a single, white mask.

"N-no way…" the man stuttered. "Y-you're…you're Robin! But how…shouldn't you be in…"

"Let's just say…I'm the new kid on the block," the Boy Wonder responded coolly, "and I don't take kindly to thieves…especially ones of your stature."

Infuriated, the man charged. "Why you little–"

Robin sighed in exasperation and stood his ground. The man came at him with full force and tried a right hook. With lightning reflexes, Robin easily dodged the punch and drove his fist into the man's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The man grew limp in Robin's arms and slowly slid to the floor, unable to breathe. The Boy Wonder quickly bound the man's arms and legs and placed a cloth over his mouth for added effect. He then placed the moneybag on the man's lap and kneeled down till his own face was level with his.

"So close…yet so far," Robin taunted. He then stood up and shot one of his trusted birdarangs upward and watched as it hooked onto the edge of the building. Pulling the rope taut, Robin offered a quick two-fingered salute before disappearing into the night sky.

"Catch ya later."

**-:-**

Within minutes, the sounds of police sirens echoed across the streets. Robin watched as two officers pushed the thief into their police car and drove off, leaving the roads calm and quiet once again.

Robin shook his head. After several weeks in Jump City, he _still _has yet to come across a mission even remotely close to exciting. He missed the rush, the thrill of pursuing a potentially dangerous villain that could kill him with a single, fatal blow. He took a deep breath and glanced up towards the dark sky, clearing his mind of useless thoughts. At that exact moment, he caught sight of a shooting star that was an unusual shade of green. He sighed.

'_Can't a guy have SOME excitement in his life?' _Robin bitterly thought to himself. He continued to watch the star until it disappeared over his head, vanishing behind the tall, lofty buildings of Jump City. Minutes later, Robin felt a slight quiver underneath him as a loud crash was heard a few miles from where he sat. He turned around and noticed an eerie green glow coming from behind the buildings.

The star had finally fallen.

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**AN: That's it for this chapter, readers! Hope you all enjoyed it! **

**Just a small request **– **PLEASE review and drop me a comment or two. It is extremely motivating when I know the audience is enjoying what they're reading. If not, I'd love to hear what I can do to make this story as good as it can be. So please let me know what you think... feedback is always appreciated!**


	3. Aftermath

**The Reason Why**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

**AN: Hey everyone! After an EXTREMELY long hiatus, I am finally back! School's been taking up most of my life and I've been trying to work extra hard to do well, so I apologize from the bottom of my heart to all the readers who have been waiting for the next chapter of this story. It took me a while because I was jumping back and forth from work to story and I kept losing fluidity, so this chapter may be a little more choppy than my first two. So please go easy on me and _PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE_ don't forget to review! It's motivation for me to keep writing and hopefully, write faster! :)**

**Happy readings everyone!**

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**Chapter 3: Aftermath**

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The boy wonder swiftly made his way towards the glowing green aura, hopping furiously from rooftop to rooftop with stealth and charisma. The cold air of the night nipped at his nose and cheeks and his midnight black hair was pushed back out of his face by the force of his steady running. His eyebrows knitted together in a stern yet emotionless expression, very typical of the ex-superhero sidekick. Curious, he quickened his pace, hoping to reach the crash site before any innocent bystanders got to it first.

It was around 10 p.m. and there was a decent amount of people still out and about, returning home from working overtime or heading out to party at the hottest clubs and bars. Robin heard the screeching echo of braking vehicles and several loud honks. He figured the object had fallen in the middle of the street and was now causing a big pileup of traffic. When he finally arrived at the site, it was significantly worse than he had imagined.

Yes, there was a pileup of traffic. A really LARGE pileup of traffic. Robin surveyed the scene from the nearest rooftop, being sure to remain unnoticed for the time being, and looked on in slight shock and disbelief. He squinted at the bright green rays being emitted from the giant crater that the fallen object had left in its wake. As he reviewed the situation before him, Robin saw that whatever the object was, it had landed right smack in the middle of a busy intersection. Cars were littered across the roads, either turned over or simply demolished by the impact of the crash. The traffic lights had been thrown from their poles and had ended up miles away from where they originally hung. Glass from windows of nearby buildings had shattered into millions of tiny fragments, creating a horrifically beautiful image of a sparkling death trap.

Robin began to hear the sirens drawing closer and closer to where he stood. The paramedics should be there real soon…

But soon was not soon enough.

Robin immediately heard the crescendo of cries and screams radiating from the crash site. He instinctively made his way down towards the ground, being sure to draw as little attention to himself as he possibly could. Like a stealthy cat, Robin landed soundless onto the cold hard floor of a dark alley between two buildings overlooking the giant crater. He stood back against the wall and scanned the area. Or… what was left of it, anyway. He looked on as police vehicles appeared from every which way, like hungry sharks swarming at a potential meal. They stopped just short of the glass-littered roads and proceeded in on foot, hoping to rescue any survivors either injured on the streets or still trapped within their demolished cars.

Robin half-believed what he saw before him. The entire scene was just too out-of-this-world to comprehend all at once. Really, how often does a giant meteor come crashing towards Earth? Why don't the heavens just send down an army of aliens while they're at it? This all seemed to be coming straight out of a science fiction movie and Robin was in the center of it all, the big star on the set of an action-packed movie filled with dangerous stunts and mind-blowing special effects. He was just waiting for someone to say 'cut' and have it all be over and done with. It all seemed crazy enough. While he did admit to himself he wanted some excitement, Robin was in no way prepared for the cards that were finally dealt to him.

What the _hell_ was going on?

He suddenly snapped back into reality when he heard a cry coming from somewhere nearby. He whipped around to his right and discovered, to his horror, a large SUV that had attached itself quite forcefully to a tall, thick telephone pole. The driver had probably seen the oncoming meteor crash and tried to avoid joining the other vehicles in a giant pileup. Whatever happened afterwards resulted in a head on collision with the telephone pole; the driver had probably lost control of the car. Its nose was completely concaved inward from the violent force of impact. Robin heard the cry again, but this time it came out in a pain-filled groan and it seemed to originate from inside the vehicle. Someone was still trapped inside.

Robin dashed over to the side of the car by a sheer rush of adrenaline and the extent of the damage became quite apparent as he did so. The windshield was in terrible condition. Cracks were spidering in every which way to the point where Robin was unable to see through to the inside. It didn't help that the side windows were tinted black either, and even those had taken quite a bit of damage. The front tires had been ripped from their axles and were flat, facing at impossible angles and barely hanging on by a scrap of metal. Pieces of the car's hood were now sprinkled across the road and sidewalk and the hood itself bent in such a way that it created a pointy, mountain-like shape, leaving an opening that exposed the contents inside. From the way it looked, it seemed nearly impossible for anyone to have survived such a brutal crash.

A small whimper echoing from inside the car said otherwise. Robin, forcing himself to remain calm, found the door handle closest to him and pulled, only to find that it was jammed shut.

Crap.

"Are you alright in there!" Robin shouted. He placed his ear close to the cracked backseat window, hoping to make out any sort of response.

No answer.

"Hello! Can you hear me in there! Anyone!" Robin pressed again.

Still no answer.

Robin ran his fingers aggressively through his spiked hair in frustration and anxiety. He took a couple steps away from the vehicle only to pivot right back, his hand running from his hair down the back of his head to rest at the base of his neck. He was seriously debating tearing the door off its hinges, but a small part of him was afraid to discover what he would find behind it.

"Help… "

Robin stopped dead in his tracks, almost not believing he heard clearly. The voice was so soft and weak.

"Help… hurts…"

That was all Robin needed to hear.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get you out! Hang on!" Robin shouted.

He grabbed the door handle with renewed vigor and pulled with all his might. His muscles strained at his attempts and his teeth gritted together in determination. Despite his efforts, the door still wouldn't budge. Robin released the door handle and shook his arms to relieve some of the pinching soreness already seeping into his tense muscles.

"Damn it…" Robin mumbled to himself. He kicked at the door a couple times, hopefully to loosen its hinges and perhaps make it easier to pry open.

"Hu-hurry… *cough*…" the voice said, desperately.

Robin couldn't waste another second. "Okay, listen to me! I need you to put your head down and put your arms over your head! Get as far away from the window as you can, I'm going to break it!"

Robin waited for response, but he was half-expecting to receive one. He waited three seconds… then five seconds… seven seconds… once ten seconds were up, he stood in position next to the car preparing to enter by force.

"I'm coming in!"

Heart pounding, Robin brought his right elbow from his lower left side up sharply to the right, directly in contact with the already damaged tinted backseat window. With a loud crash the window shattered inward, leaving sharp pointy edges of glass along the window's border. Robin seethed as pieces of jagged glass scraped and cut his skin like a knife through butter. Ignoring the bits of blood emerging from the cuts, he backed up away from the broken glass and took a deep breath, knowing that the task of inspecting the damage within the car was still at hand. A cut up arm would be the least of his worries from this point on.

Robin timidly glanced inside the window and his heart nearly stopped at the sight before him.

Crouched in the backseat was a little boy around four to five years of age, hands covering his head and legs tucked into his chest in a fetal-like position. Just next to him was a tilted car seat, the buckles were undone which signified that the child had freed himself after the crash. Pieces of glass littered his short blonde hair, all along his body and across the seat, causing his shirt and pants to sparkle rainbow specks. He was visibly shaking in fear and his back jerked in small spasms, signaling that the toddler was indeed crying.

Robin's usual placid face softened at the sight of the trembling boy and couldn't help but feel a small tugging in his chest. So small… so vulnerable. A sudden flash of a child's motionless body ran through Robin's mind and left just as quickly. Shocked, Robin shook his head as if to fling the thoughts out from his head. Ugh, he absolutely hated when that happened.

Memories of the past tended to hit him at unexpected times and he did his absolute best to suppress them. Though he knew he couldn't remove them from his mind permanently, Robin always hoped he was good enough to at least be able place those memories in a small chest and lock it away somewhere deep inside his heart where no one, not even he, could ever find them again. But in some way or another, there was something about a small defenseless child that affected him in a way nothing else could. Perhaps it was his own broken childhood, his own unfortunes as a small boy that fueled his desire to protect the boys and girls that existed out there, to prevent anything that would ever cause them fear or pain. Perhaps it was the little girl, the small innocent little girl whom he knew he failed to protect...

That was all behind him now, or so he believed it to be. Nevertheless, no child deserved to go through such trauma at such a young age, and Robin knew this all too well. He slowly reached into the car and gently placed his hand upon the little boy's back. The child winced. Robin could feel his shivering, and his heart sank even deeper.

"Hey, buddy," Robin said in an unusually soft voice, "everything's going to be alright now, okay?"

The fragile boy slowly lifted his head from his arms, which were positioned so that the weight was on his elbows. His eyes that were once squeezed shut in fear gradually opened to reveal beautiful blue orbs that swam in a film of tears. He cautiously sat up and turned towards the broken window where Robin stood patiently, never removing his hand from behind the boys back. The toddler sniffled and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the boy wonder.

"R-R-Robin?" he stuttered in fear. He was obviously trying to hold back the crying spasms. His tiny left hand came up towards his face and Robin watched as his thumb entered his mouth and he slowly began to suck.

"That's right," Robin responded with a small half-smile, "I'm here to help you. What's your name?"

"T-Tyler," the little boy said in a god-awful cute voice. "Robin," he said again as he pointed to him.

"That's right, I'm Robin," the boy wonder said. Then he noticed Tyler pointing over to the seat pocket directly in front of where he sat. Tucked halfway into the pocket was a small action figure. Robin immediately recognized the distinct detail of the plastic red uniform, 'R' insignia, black cape and white eye mask. It was him, only much smaller and… plastic.

Tyler pulled his thumb of out his mouth. "Robin…" he repeated with a sniffle and glanced at him again with his teary, but curious blue eyes. Robin couldn't help but smirk.

"I look good, don't I?" he said. Tyler nodded slightly and placed his thumb back into his mouth, an adorably confused expression plastered on his face.

Robin felt for the boy. He seemed to be oblivious to what just happened to him, most likely due to trauma. He simply sat there in the center of a bashed up vehicle, his spirits lifting at the sight of his hero standing in front of him. He was blissfully unaware of the unspeakable havoc that he was able to escape with his life.

Robin began to hear a louder chorus of screeching wheels and noticed a storm of bright red and blue police lights pouring from every which way. The sounds of ambulance trucks filled the skies. Robin turned and saw that the police and the paramedics were starting to arrive by the bunches. He needed to get the boy out of the car and into an ambulance so that he could be checked thoroughly for any internal injuries he may have sustained from the force of the crash.

Suddenly, Tyler began to whimper. His right hand came up to his head and his eyes squinted in pain.

"Ow.. it-it hurts…" he cried. Robin turned his attention back to the little boy. He watched as Tyler removed his hand from his head, only to pull away a palm-full of blood. Robin's eyes widened, but Tyler seemed to show no fear or emotion. He curled his fingers and opened again, smearing the sticky substance all over the tops of his fingers and across his palm. He seemed to be fascinated with the subject and was temporarily distracted from the pain he felt in his head just moments before. Robin took the opportunity to make an attempt to remove him from the car without panicking the little boy.

"Okay, Tyler," Robin began in a hurry, "I need to get you out of the car, alright?"

Tyler shifted his eyes from his bloody hand over to Robin and held the hand up, fingers upward, as if to show Robin the red substance he found so enthralling.

"Right... great buddy…" Robin continued half-sarcastically reaching over and grabbing Tyler by the armpits and pulling him towards the window.

"Okay, take a step here…" Robin said, referring to the window ledge. Tyler held his foot out as Robin held him up.

"Slowly…" Robin pushed calmly. Tyler's foot planted itself steadily onto the ledge.

"That-a-boy… take your time…" Robin assured, "…careful of the, uh, sharp pointy clear thingies…" It was the only description of glass he could come up with at the present moment.

Tyler's thumb found itself lodged nervously into his mouth as the child followed the boy wonder's instructions with utmost concentration. After several moments, both of Tyler's feet were standing on the window sill while Robin held the boy up with his hands firmly around his rib cage.

"Good job, Tyler," Robin commended. "Now I want you to jump out from the window, understand?"

Tyler nodded. He pulled his thumb out of his mouth and held onto Robin's wrists to the best of his ability and popped upwards with his small legs. Robin used the momentum to pick the boy upwards and have him land safely into his strong arms. Tyler's little limbs wrapped around Robin's neck and held him tightly. His head rested comfortably on Robin's left shoulder.

"There's a brave little man," Robin praised as he patted Tyler firmly on the back. Robin began to walk away from the crash just as a police car and ambulance parked itself rather clumsily next to the mutilated vehicle. A couple of paramedics rushed out from the back of the ambulance with first aid and began pulling out a stretcher. A single officer emerged from the police vehicle and hurried over to where Robin stood with Tyler.

"Robin," the officer acknowledged.

"Officer," Robin responded coldly. He never really was good at making conversation.

"Was anyone hurt?" the officer asked. He turned and spotted the crash. "Damn…"

"Don't know about the driver yet," the boy wonder began sternly, "but I pulled the kid out just a few minutes ago. Name's Tyler. Seems to be okay, but he has a pretty bad cut on his head somewhere. He needs to be looked at."

The officer nodded, his hands holding each side of the belt around his waist. His eyes turned and began to scan the entire crash site area, marveling at the disastrous beauty before him. His walkie talkie began beeping and a voice was heard through the speaker. There was a great deal of static, but the officer was able to make out the voice of his partner telling him that he was on his way and asking about the status of the situation. The officer pressed a button and began speaking into the talkie.

"Yeah, man… its absolute insanity out here. I can't even begin to describe to you what it looks like. Just get over here, it's gonna be one hell of a night."

The voice in the talkie spoke again, "Any..zzz..idea..zzz..what landed..zzz.. out there?"

The officer again brought his finger up to press and hold the button before speaking, "Chuck and his group are already at the center where the thing landed. All they found was a hole in the ground emitting green light. Strange, really."

"No..zzz..rock? Perhaps even an..zzz..alien?" A chuckle was heard in between static breaks.

"Just hurry your ass over here!" the officer commanded with increasing irritation. He rolled his eyes as he placed his walkie talkie back in his belt. His hand came up to rub at his eyes in tired annoyance.

"There was nothing?" Robin asked.

The officer continued rubbing at his eyes and moved downwards across his face. "Naw...at least not yet," he explained. "They walked up there and checked the crater. Climbed in and everything. There was nothing of particular interest. It seemed like the crater just created itself."

Robin's eyes furrowed. _'Something HAD to have fallen…' _he thought.

"I'm going to scour the area," the boy wonder finally spoke. "I need you to take the kid."

Robin began to pat Tyler's back, hoping to stir him. "Hey, you still with me?"

Tyler's head simply tilted flaccidly onto Robin's shoulder. His arms that were once wrapped around the boy wonder's neck became limp and slid down the sides of Robin's arms. Both men froze.

"Tyler? Hey.. hey…" Robin shook a bit more forcefully. When there was still no response, Robin brought his hand up to the back of Tyler's head and leaned forward so that he was cradling Tyler on his back with his strong arms, enabling him to see the boy's face.

And he immediately saw the problem.

There was a stream of blood running down Tyler's face, originating from the top of his head. Tyler's shirt was drenched dark red and Robin looked down at his own shoulder to find his uniform stained the same dark red color. Robin lowered himself and placed Tyler's legs down onto the ground but held his upper body up and off the floor. The officer was at Tyler's other side in a split second and whipped out a handkerchief, pressing it firmly onto the boy's head. He immediately began checking for a pulse while trying to contain the blood.

"There's a pulse, but we're gonna lose him fast if we don't do something quick!" the slightly panicked officer yelled.

"Get the stretcher here, NOW!" Robin screamed.

Suddenly, a dreadfully loud bang was heard and before anyone realized what was happening, the boy wonder was thrown back a good ten feet. The startled officer immediately shielded the boy with his own body. A black cat dashed out from the alleyway in fear.

"SHOTS FIRED! EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" he shouted with all his might.

Paramedics and officers within the area took cover behind cars, trucks, and buildings. Police officers took their weapons out, but had no idea which way to shoot first. Bystanders watched in shock as Robin landed with a painful grunt and rolled another foot or two before slowing down to a stop. He hit his head a couple of times on the rough pavement and felt a tad dizzy, but managed to try and sit up. His left hand came up to rub his head in an attempt to soothe some of the wooziness, but when he tried to move his right arm, a shocking pain seared up his damaged limb.

'_Was I hit?' _the boy wonder thought. He pulled up his green sleeve and slipped his also-green glove about halfway down his forearm, half expecting there to be a really gross and gruesome bullet wound. The bang and temporarily unbearable pain definitely made it seem like he had been shot by some sort of weapon. The only thing strange about it was… there was no blood. No pool on the ground, nothing staining his clothes. When he finally revealed the bare skin Robin was surprised to find, not a bullet wound, but a rash-like burn running up and down his arm. Small, barely noticeable blisters had already started to form at and around where the forearm connected to the upper arm, where his skin had already been exposed to the open.

"What the—" Robin murmured to himself.

"Robin! Robin, you okay?"

Robin looked up just in time to see Tyler being wheeled off on a stretcher and pushed into the back of an ambulance. The officer that shielded him earlier was quickly running over to where Robin sat, his left hand holding the belt as if to prevent his pants from slipping all the way down to his knees.

"I'm okay," Robin answered, "the kid?"

"He's fine," the officer assured. "He wasn't hit. Just lost a little too much blood and passed out." Robin nodded. On the inside, Robin hoped and prayed Tyler was going to be alright. He seethed between his teeth at the burn on his arm, which seemed to be getting worse. He looked down and saw that the cuts he received earlier from the glass had reopened into larger wounds and began to trickle blood.

"Damn it," Robin cursed.

"What on earth did you get hit with?" the officer questioned in disbelief. "There was a bang, a flash of neon green light, and then you jus—"

"I don't know," Robin interrupted sternly as he found his way to his feet. His cape flowed down around his shoulders, covering his torso in its black darkness. "Whatever it was, it came from over there…" he nodded over towards the spot between the two buildings, "…probably from the alleyway I came out of."

The officer drew his gun and pointed it at the alley, "Alright then, I'll go in and—"

Before he could finish his sentence the boy wonder placed his hand on the officer's chest, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Thanks bud, but I've got this," Robin said coolly. "You're needed out here. They're gonna need all hands on deck to clean up this place."

Debating whether or not he should take offense, the officer reluctantly obliged and stepped back behind the boy wonder. Robin continued, his back still facing him.

"Check all vehicles—in, under, and around. Search for any survivors and seal the place off so there are zero chances anyone else gets hurt."

The officer nodded. "Will do."

He turned and began walking towards the crash site, but Robin's voice stopped him once more.

"One more thing," Robin began. The officer glanced back at him. "Make sure you check for anyone still in that SUV. The kid is waiting."

**-:-**

Somewhere deeper inside the darkness, Starfire plopped her tired body down on top of several black, somewhat cushiony objects. They radiated a horrible stench, but her body was just too worn out to object. Several repulsive little furry creatures with exceptionally long tails ran out from underneath her, hoping to find another pile of stink to seek refuge in. The exhausted girl barely noticed.

Her body ached all over. After her not-so-graceful landing upon this planet, the girl was overjoyed that she didn't shatter into a million pieces. The ground here was so much harder than she originally thought. After crashing into the ground, it only took her a few seconds to hear loud blaring noises surrounding her and she immediately left the crater to seek a place to hide, despite her body feeling like it was going to fall apart. She gathered herself and flew straight up, engulfing herself within the smoke the crater gave off in order to shield herself from sight. Once she felt she was high enough, she darted out and tried to find someplace dark so she could avoid being seen. Looking down, she saw tiny moving objects piling up on top of each other around the crater; some of these objects also crashed into the buildings nearby. The entire area was sparkling like the stars in the sky. It seemed almost.. beautiful.

She sank deeper into the stinky mess, temporarily relieved that she didn't have to move much at the moment. Thank X'hal she found this dark haven, though she could still look up and see the sky. It wasn't too far from where she landed, for she could still hear the piercing noises. She was covered in bruises and cuts, not to mention the giant gash on her leg that needed immediate treatment. However, she didn't know where to even begin looking for aide. On this unfamiliar planet, she needed to be extra careful with herself. She had no idea who was helpful and who was harmful. She could trust no one.

She heard rustling behind her and her reflexes immediately kicked in. Without hesitation, Starfire's eyes glowed a bright green and she released a single star bolt at where she heard the noise. She watched as it hit a metal trash can with a loud bang and then bounce off of it only to disappear around the corner of the building. Another furry creature covered in black fur darted out from behind the trash can, and carried one of the smaller creatures that Starfire had seen earlier in its mouth. It ran in the same direction her star bolt had deflected to. False alarm.

Starfire then heard a voice in the distance. "SHOTS FIRED! EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

She could not understand a word of it, but it sounded angry. She quickly flew behind a large metal box that gave off an even stronger unsatisfying smell and she glanced inside. There were even more black, cushiony objects within it. Perhaps this device is what produces the stinky cushions since it smelled just as bad, if not worse.

As she pondered this idea in wonder, she began to hear footsteps coming from behind the corner of the building. She looked down towards the ground and saw the silhouette of a creature she had never seen before. The creature's head seemed to have spikes growing off of it and the rest of the body seemed completely smooth, flowing all the way down to the floor. Of course, this was _exactly_ what she needed at the moment.

She cursed under her breath words she never thought she would ever curse and felt the righteous fury flowing through her body as her eyes and hands began to glow a bright green…

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**AN: SO.. how was it? Please review and let me know how you feel about where this story is going. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome!**

**Again, I am so very sorry for the long delay. I will do my best to keep this story moving forward, so thank you for all your love and support! You guys are the best! Thanks for reading!**


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